Unfortunately, the Hoboken Board of Education opposed Elysian's request for an enrollment increase. The district claimed they were concerned of losing funding because of a decrease in the district enrollment- even though the district provided no evidence that these 36 potential students would attend Hoboken district schools if the expansion was denied.
Now in 2021 the same Hoboken Board of Education claims “skyrocketing” and explosive enrollment although many question the accuracy of such numbers. One such critique comes from Ms. Maureen Sullivan, a former Hoboken Board of Education member from 2009 to 2013.
There was and continues to be great interest in Elysian School in Hoboken: “Our waitlist remains robust and demand for our school is at an all-time high, evidenced by our record-breaking 914 applicants from our most recent lottery in January."
Denying a small charter school 36 seats is not the action of a school district currently claiming they are experiences explosive enrollment growth. Perhaps the Hoboken Board of Education and the Chief School Administrator want both the perception that enrollment is growing AND that any loss of students to the district would have a financial and segregative effect on the district.
The Hoboken Board of Education also made an argument to the state about the segregative effect of the 36 students. However, most people will remember a similar argument by the Board resulted in a 3 year lawsuit against the Hola Dual Language Charter School (see a pattern here) which the Hoboken District initially and lost again upon appeal. There was no segregative effect.
note: A number of Board members and the Superintendent were involved in the 2017 Hola lawsuit, the 2019 Elysian Expansion opposition and the 2021 explosive enrollment $241 million bond issue.
Summary: In December of 2019 the Hoboken Board of Education denied an expansion of 36 students over 4 years to Elysian Charter but less than 2 years later, the Hoboken superintendent and Board publicly and claim explosive enrollment growth although many disagree with the accuracy of the Board's numbers. The Hoboken Board of Education has consistently been against any expansion of charter school enrollment increases yet claims explosive enrollment growth in the district.
On Tuesday, December 10, 2019 the Hoboken Board of Education passed Action 9.23 which was the Approval of the Opposition to the Elysian School Expansion. The motion was initialed by Board Trustee Melanie Tekirian and was seconded by Trustee Chetali Khanna. All board trustees votes yes (Malani Cademartori, Sheillah Dallara, Alex De La Torre, Jennifer Evans, Chetali Khanna, Ailene McGuirk, Melanie Tekirian, Sharyn Angley) with a single abstaining vote by Trustee Thomas Kluepfel.
